Males have a distinctive pinkish-silver breast speckled with black spots and a maroon belly, while females exhibit less vibrant coloration.

The species is distributed across the Himalayas extending from Kashmir to western and central China, as well as parts of India, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan.

[2][3] Inhabiting evergreen and semi-evergreen hill forests at elevations of 1,800-4,000 meters (5,905-13,123 ft), descend in winter based on food availability.

The speckled wood pigeon was formally described by the Irish zoologist and politician Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1832, who was the co-founder of the Zoological Society of London in 1826.

Hindneck feathers have black or purplish-black bases with silver tips, creating a speckled appearance.

[5][8][10] In female, scapulars and mantle lack of maroon coloration and replaced with slaty dark brown.

[5][8][9][10] Habitat: Speckled wood pigeons inhabit tall evergreen and semi-evergreen hill forests, particularly those dominated by oak and Rhododendron, at altitudes ranging from 1,800-4,000 meters (5,905-13,123 ft), though it may descend to as low as 1,350 meters (4,429 ft) in winter depending on food availability.

[5][8] Speckled wood pigeons typically breed from May to June, with some extending into August, especially at altitudes between 1,800 and 3,300 meters (5,905-10,827 ft).

Their nests are platforms made of interlaced twigs, placed in oak trees or nullahs (narrow valleys or dry streams) commonly found in mountainous regions of India and Pakistan.

It is generally regarded as an rare and uncommon species, due to much of its range is in remote and inaccessible areas.